Police officers accused of intimidation, extortion fired
METROPOLITAN Police commissioner Lt-General Sriwara Ransibrahmanakul said yesterday that he had dismissed two police officers under his jurisdiction who were accused of intimidating a Japanese man and his Thai wife with arms to extort Bt1 million from the
Kiguchi Masatoh, 36, filed a complaint with Pol Major Songsak Setrit of Yan Nawa Police Station, saying a group of people claiming to be police officers had extorted Bt1 million out of him at his condominium in Empire Tower on Sathorn Road, Yan Nawa district, on September 5.
Yan Nawa Police Station then sought arrest warrants from the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court for Pol Lt-Colonel Pongthawat Kongsuea of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Pol Lieutenant Kritpakorn Niamson, a crime-suppression officer, and Pol Senior Sgt-Major Weerasak Paosu of Phra Khanong Police Station on charges of conspiring to intimidate by using guns, demanding a kickback and abuse of authority.
Sriwara said the two police officers under his authority did not surrender to face charges, so he has taken disciplinary action by firing all two of them.
Crime Suppression Division chief Pol Maj-General Akaradej Pimolsri said he had summoned Kritpakorn for questioning over his alleged involvement in intimidating the Japanese-Thai couple of charging them in drug cases.
He said he had not suspended Kritpakorn from duty but would take legal against him if he were found guilty as alleged.
Songsak said police had filed the petition with the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission to take over the case on September 24. He said the Japanese man had left for Japan, leaving behind his Thai wife. She had not sought police protection for her own security.
Reports say arrest warrants had been issued for the three after the Japanese man and his wife identified them as committing the crime.